tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8274499059808941262014-10-06T21:23:41.546-07:00Louisiana Graveyard RabbitA Charter Member of The Association of Graveyard Rabbits <p>And <p>Companion to the Community Blog <a href="http://louisianacemeteries.blogspot.com">Louisiana Cemetery Preservation</a><br></p></p>Louisiana Genealogy Blogshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07232128496424412370noreply@blogger.comBlogger30125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-827449905980894126.post-34343907693947566702013-01-15T09:27:00.002-08:002013-01-15T09:27:31.874-08:00Leeville / Lefort Cemetery Lafourche Parish Louisiana<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://image1.findagrave.com/photos/2009/192/39391264_124745450775.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://image1.findagrave.com/photos/2009/192/39391264_124745450775.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="minus1" style="color: #666666;">Added by: </span><a href="http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=mr&amp;MRid=46899697"><span class="minus1" style="color: #666666;">DeeDee</span></a><br /><span class="minus1" style="color: #666666;">7/12/2009</span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="minus1" style="color: #666666;">&nbsp;</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><a href="http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=cr&amp;GScid=2307395&amp;GRid=39391264&amp;CRid=2307395&amp;">Leeville Cemetery / Lefort Cemetery - Find A Grave</a></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;">&nbsp; </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://image1.findagrave.com/photos/2009/192/CEM46899697_124743626836.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://image1.findagrave.com/photos/2009/192/CEM46899697_124743626836.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="minus1" style="color: #666666;">Added by: </span><a href="http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=mr&amp;MRid=46899697"><span class="minus1" style="color: #666666;">DeeDee</span></a><br /><span class="minus1" style="color: #666666;">7/12/2009</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>Louisiana Genealogy Blogshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07232128496424412370noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-827449905980894126.post-7181535994928748112011-12-28T23:14:00.001-08:002011-12-28T23:14:21.944-08:00Unknown cemetery Orleans ParishDoes anyone have any idea about the history around S. Tonti Street in New Orleans? Here is a map from 1895 that illustrates a cemetery on the Illinois Central American Railroad just above S. Tonti and likely within a 1/4 mile of that street.<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--FYOhmyvwN0/TvwQjYdrMhI/AAAAAAAAAhI/yQOcaXqPqUk/s1600/toledanostreetcemeterybefore1895.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="482" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--FYOhmyvwN0/TvwQjYdrMhI/AAAAAAAAAhI/yQOcaXqPqUk/s640/toledanostreetcemeterybefore1895.png" width="640" /></a></div><br />The map is 116 years old&nbsp; and the area has changed BUT the streets below the cemetery&nbsp; have not changed&nbsp; names.&nbsp; There are many street name changes in New Orleans over the past 100 years or so. The location of 4th Street was critical in placing the cemetery on a modern day Google map near a railroad. There are many cemeteries to the NORTH and EAST and WEST of this location.&nbsp; I just love old maps. A little farther Northeast would place the cemetery at the Superdome.&nbsp; I just don't know the name of <u>this</u> cemetery and cant seem to find it anywhere. <div style="background-color: white; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><br />Read more: <a href="http://louisianagenealogyblog.blogspot.com/#ixzz1huCcXTgT" style="color: #003399;">http://louisianagenealogyblog.blogspot.com/#ixzz1huCcXTgT</a> <br />Under Creative Commons License: <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0" style="color: #003399;">Attribution</a></div>Louisiana Genealogy Blogshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07232128496424412370noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-827449905980894126.post-30321564777430169632011-12-18T08:26:00.001-08:002011-12-18T08:35:12.651-08:001904 Apparatus for Signaling from Graves US Patent US766171<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-omH37mf26ik/Tu4UGXGWQrI/AAAAAAAAAgg/9ow02QbVDXc/s1600/signal.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-omH37mf26ik/Tu4UGXGWQrI/AAAAAAAAAgg/9ow02QbVDXc/s1600/signal.png" /></a></div><br /><br /><a href="http://www.google.com/patents?id=BtB9AAAAEBAJ&amp;zoom=4&amp;dq=Louisiana%20cemetery&amp;pg=PA2&amp;ci=65%2C43%2C811%2C1265&amp;source=bookclip"><img src="http://www.google.com/patents?id=BtB9AAAAEBAJ&amp;pg=PA2&amp;img=1&amp;zoom=4&amp;hl=en&amp;sig=ACfU3U0hmNdYwZixldk86GLO035RkTqT3A&amp;ci=65%2C43%2C811%2C1265&amp;edge=0" /></a>Louisiana Genealogy Blogshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07232128496424412370noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-827449905980894126.post-1261900217983075232011-02-01T09:56:00.000-08:002011-02-02T10:24:09.623-08:00Grace Episcopal Church and Cemetery West Feliciana Parish<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/smp7880/5381717591/" title="IMG_0094 by smp7880, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_0094" height="500" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5208/5381717591_8cd5bee88b.jpg" width="375" /></a><br />Grace Episcopal Church Cemetery, by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/smp7880/">flickr user smp7880</a>, taken in 2008, West Feliciana Parish. The church was formed around 1827 and the building contructed about 1858-1860 by the architect Charles Nevitt Gibbons. It&nbsp; has survived a shelling during the Civil War and has been on the Louisiana Register of Historic Places since 1979. View a 1979 photograph of the church and cemetery <a href="http://www.crt.state.la.us/hp/nationalregister/nhl/picture.asp?name=63005002.jpg&amp;title=Grace+Episcopal+Church">here</a>.<br /><br /><blockquote>"It was in this church building that in May, 1861, the Diocesan Convention voted that the Diocese of Louisiana was no longer part of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States. 25 But it is also in this churchyard that a young officer in charge of the Federal steamer Albatross was buried in 1863. The officer had asked that he be buried on shore with Masonic ceremonies, so under a flag of truce a group of men from the Albatross made contact with a past master of Feliciana Lodge, and Masonic ceremonies were held over the grave which was prepared in Grace Church cemetery. This grave is marked with a flat marble slab with the Masonic emblem engraved into it.<br /><br />When the Federal troops seized Baton Rouge, they made it a center from which their<br />gunboats ranged north and south. Guerrillas at Bayou Sara sniped at the boats from the banks, and in retaliation Bayou Sara and St. Francisville were bombarded. The new Grace Church building was sighted and bombarded. One shell entering at the front corner of the building dislodged large masses of brickwork and landed in the chancel, but failed to detonate. Had this shell exploded, it would have all but destroyed the church. Another shell passed through the organ. After this incident, services in the church were impossible. " - LA Historic Preservation</blockquote>Read more about the church from the <a href="http://www.crt.state.la.us/hp/nationalregister/nhl/document2.asp?name=63005001.pdf&amp;title=Grace+Episcopal+Church">Louisiana Division of Historic Preservation's National Register website</a>.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/smp7880/5382322458/" title="IMG_0100 by smp7880, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5203/5382322458_6a40659c68.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="IMG_0100" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/smp7880/5382322406/" title="IMG_0134 by smp7880, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5005/5382322406_32c423465b.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="IMG_0134" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/smp7880/5381716993/" title="IMG_0085 by smp7880, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5283/5381716993_6dfb3a8168.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="IMG_0085" /></a>Louisiana Genealogy Blogshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07232128496424412370noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-827449905980894126.post-89568861200773987032011-01-22T11:57:00.000-08:002011-01-28T09:53:30.857-08:00Elpege Picou Cemetery - Terrebonne Parish Louisiana<iframe width="425" height="344" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/sukcsfVjAWU?fs=1" frameborder="0" allowFullScreen=""></iframe><br /><br />LAGenWeb Transcription<a href="http://files.usgwarchives.net/la/terrebonne/cemeteries/epicou.txt"><br />http://files.usgwarchives.net/la/terrebonne/cemeteries/epicou.txt</a><br /><br />FAG<br /><a href="\http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=cr&CRid=68563&CScn=Picou&CScntry=4&CSst=20&CScnty=1163&">http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=cr&CRid=68563&CScn=Picou&CScntry=4&CSst=20&CScnty=1163&</a><br /><br />LA-CEMETERIES.COM<a href="http://www.la-cemeteries.com/Maps/Terrebonne/Pics/PicouCemetery-TB28/TB28Pics1.htm"><br />http://www.la-cemeteries.com/Maps/Terrebonne/Pics/PicouCemetery-TB28/TB28Pics1.htm</a><br /><br />968RDHQ54T27Louisiana Genealogy Blogshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07232128496424412370noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-827449905980894126.post-67063640785159315782011-01-15T08:18:00.001-08:002011-01-15T08:18:55.381-08:00Bayou Sale - St. Mary Parish<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/prc-advocacy/4687623087/" title="Bayou Sale - St Mary Parish-10 by Preservation Resource Center, Advocacy Department, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4038/4687623087_e55a5e61d3.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Bayou Sale - St Mary Parish-10" /></a><br /><br />By Preservation Resource Center, Advocacy Department No real name given<br /><br />This photo was taken on June 6, 2010 using a Sony DSC-T70.<br /><br />Midway cemeteryLouisiana Genealogy Blogshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07232128496424412370noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-827449905980894126.post-75573634681157662352011-01-02T18:34:00.000-08:002011-01-06T11:10:24.122-08:00Abandoned chapel and its cemetery<b><a href="http://louisianacemeteries.blogspot.com/2011/01/world-war-i.html?spref=bl">World War I</a> Grave behind abandoned chapel</b><br /><br />"flickr user Nancy Scioneaux nancynco April 14, 2009, Chackbay, St. James Parish, Louisiana behind abandoned chapel."<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/nancycno/3443967968/" title="WWI Grave by nancycno, on Flickr"><img alt="WWI Grave" height="500" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3586/3443967968_34ba2e8d33.jpg" width="334" /></a><br /><br /><br />This photo taken by flickr user, Must Love Real* on December 10, 2007 of an abandoned church chapel is in St. James Parish, Chackbay, Louisiana.<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/41736776@N03/3910260869/" title="Resting in Peace by Must Love Real *, on Flickr"><img alt="Resting in Peace" height="500" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3435/3910260869_f5af305481.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/barefoot/561233024/" title="Ferns and Stones by cecily7, on Flickr"><img alt="Ferns and Stones" height="334" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1108/561233024_b1ee37cb6a.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />Photo taken by flickr user cicily7 (Cecily Johnson) on June 11, 2007 in Chakaby, Louisiana, Lafourche or St. James Parish Hwy 20. <a href="http://louisianacemeteries.blogspot.com/2011/01/abandoned-chapel-cemetery.html">Cemetery behind abandoned church</a> in/near Chackbay, Louisiana.<br />I wonder what the name of this cemetery and church is or used to be?<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/nancycno/3443188915/" title="Graves 2 by nancycno, on Flickr"><img alt="Graves 2" height="334" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3634/3443188915_fb66d0a251.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />flickr user nancycno (Nancy Scionneaux)April 14, 2009.<br /><div style="color: red;"><b>&nbsp;Update: 01/04/2011</b></div><div style="color: red;"><b><a href="http://www.la-cemeteries.com/Maps/Lafourche/Pics/StLukeCemetery-LF66/SJA66Pics1.htm">See La-cemeteries.com photos of this cemetery !</a> The church appears to be falling down now.</b></div><div style="color: red;"><b>and is listed in St. James Parish as St. Lukes chapel cemetery.</b><br /><br /><b>See also:</b><br /><b><a href="http://www.tri-parishtimes.com/articles/2008/08/06/news/147_51_churchpg1.txt">Tri Parish Times August 2008</a></b><br /><b>PDF FILE <a href="http://www.sdetillier.com/uploads/4/4/7/3/4473897/forgotten_people.pdf">Forgotten people</a></b></div>Louisiana Genealogy Blogshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07232128496424412370noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-827449905980894126.post-38970341976608594472010-12-29T15:18:00.000-08:002010-12-29T15:22:06.308-08:00How to submit a cemetery report<b></b>If you have found a cemetery that is NOT listed with the Louisiana Cemetery Board as an ACTIVE cemetery and that contains graves 50 years of age or older, and is unkept, abandoned or neglected or otherwise UNKNOWN, a&nbsp; report should be filed with the Regional Louisiana Dept. of Archaeology, the Louisiana Attorney General, and the local Sheriffs office. You may find a list of contacts <a href="http://louisianacemeteries.wikispaces.com/file/view/ladeptarch.pdf/185768497/ladeptarch.pdf">here</a>. Recent <a href="http://www.legis.state.la.us/billdata/streamdocument.asp?did=722528">updates</a> to Louisiana cemetery law <span style="text-decoration: underline;">require reporting within 72 hours</span>.<br /><br />If the cemetery is ACTIVE and is accepting burials, then it falls under the jurisdiction of the Louisiana Cemetery Board. The <a href="http://www.lcb.state.la.us/contact.html">Louisiana Cemetery Board</a> can be contacted online, in addition to the local police, Sheriff, and <a href="http://www.ag.louisiana.gov/Article.aspx?articleID=28&amp;catID=12">Louisiana Attorney Generals</a> office.<br /><br />The online form for submission through Louisiana Cemetery Preservation website can be found <a href="http://louisianacemeteries.angelfire.com/form.html">here</a> or you may send an email to <a href="mailto:louisianacemeteries@yahoo.com">louisianacemeteries@yahoo.com</a><br />&nbsp; <span style="display: none;">This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it </span><br /><b>Please answer as many of the following questions as possible when making a submission</b> <b>via email:</b><br /><ul><li>Cemetery Name &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </li><li>Parish &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </li><li>Driving directions &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </li><li>Condition description &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </li><li>Earliest record &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </li><li>Your name, address, email &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </li><li>Organization &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </li><li>Todays date &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </li><li>Alternate cemetery name &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </li><li>GIS GPS Location &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </li><li>Does the cemetery have a sign? &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </li><li>Is the cemetery access road public or private? &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </li><li>Are burial records available? &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </li><li>Source of burial records: &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </li><li>Source of photo: &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </li><li>Approximate number of internments &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </li><li>Overall condition of markers &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </li><li>Most common surnames found</li><li>Other comments</li></ul><br />See examples: <a href="http://louisianacemeteries.x10hosting.com/index/index.php?option=com_content&amp;view=category&amp;id=35:cemetery-reports&amp;Itemid=62&amp;layout=default" target="_blank">Saving Graves Louisiana Archived Reports</a>.<br /><br /><a href="http://louisianacemeteries.x10hosting.com/index/index.php?option=com_content&amp;view=category&amp;id=35:cemetery-reports&amp;Itemid=62&amp;layout=default" target="_blank">http://louisianacemeteries.x10hosting.com/index/index.php?option=com_content&amp;view=category&amp;id=35:cemetery-reports&amp;Itemid=62&amp;layout=default</a><br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;">*Updated the Resource Links to include current and archived reports for Louisiana Cemetery Preservation. </span>Louisiana Genealogy Blogshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07232128496424412370noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-827449905980894126.post-50887911228093102912010-11-30T08:49:00.000-08:002010-11-30T08:53:57.804-08:00Louisiana Cemeteries and Folklore<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_UyWUnGy2sLU/TPUnuzlcR9I/AAAAAAAAATI/ZUsPjbPG2Og/s1600/gumboyaya4.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="257" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_UyWUnGy2sLU/TPUnuzlcR9I/AAAAAAAAATI/ZUsPjbPG2Og/s400/gumboyaya4.png" width="400" /></a></div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_UyWUnGy2sLU/TPUre20njdI/AAAAAAAAATM/AUNjUJZ-uCg/s1600/gumboyaya3.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_UyWUnGy2sLU/TPUre20njdI/AAAAAAAAATM/AUNjUJZ-uCg/s1600/gumboyaya3.png" /></a><u><i>Gumbo Ya Ya</i></u> can be found in the American Libraries Internet Archive.&nbsp; The much loved title can be read online or downloaded as a <a href="http://ia700102.us.archive.org/13/items/gumboyaya00louirich/gumboyaya00louirich.pdf">PDF</a> file. The chapter on <a href="http://www.archive.org/stream/gumboyaya00louirich#page/316/mode/2up">cemeteries</a> begins on page 316. There are a few old black and white photographs and paintings included in the book.&nbsp; Included, too, are excerpts from local Louisiana newspapers of the mid to late 1800's describing cemeteries, thefts, plagues,&nbsp; and funerals.&nbsp; <u><b>Gumbo Ya Ya</b></u> was written by <span class="value">Louisiana Writers' Project; Saxon, Lyle, 1891-1946; Dreyer, Edward; Tallant, Robert, 1909-1957 with materials gathered by the Works Progress Administration, Louisiana Writers' Project and was sponsored by the Louisiana State Library Commission.&nbsp; The drawings are by Caroline Durefux and Roland Duvernet. Gumbo Ya Ya covers a variety of cemeteries in Louisiana including those in New Orleans but also other lesser known cemeteries in surrounding parishes.</span>Louisiana Genealogy Blogshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07232128496424412370noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-827449905980894126.post-372924934917622010-11-18T07:41:00.000-08:002010-11-18T07:42:45.174-08:00Brooklyn Methodist Church Cemetery, Jackson Parish<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_UyWUnGy2sLU/TOU-6pFI0QI/AAAAAAAAAS4/E2QnK7JO-Jo/s1600/brooklyncemetery.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_UyWUnGy2sLU/TOU-6pFI0QI/AAAAAAAAAS4/E2QnK7JO-Jo/s640/brooklyncemetery.jpg" width="430" /></a></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />This historic church cemetery is in Jackson Parish, Louisiana near Chatham, Louisiana . Both the church structure and the cemetery are listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984. LAGenWeb has listed this <a href="http://files.usgwarchives.net/la/jackson/cemeteries/brooklyn.txt">transcription</a> where most of those buried are circa 1860 tombstones.<br /><br /><i>"<span style="font-size: small;">Brooklyn Cemetery is located adjacent to Brooklyn Methodist Church which was </span>established in 1838. This is the oldest surviving church in Jackson Parish.<span style="font-size: small;"> </span>There is a placque on the premises which read: Brooklyn Church &amp; Cemetery,<span style="font-size: small;"> </span>Founded 1838, has been placed on the National Register of Historic Places by the U. S. Dept of Interior." There is also a monument which is located<span style="font-size: small;"> </span>outside the cemetery and reads: "Wagon Train arrived at this place Dec. 24,<span style="font-size: small;"> </span>1857. Familes: Hearns, Shells, Jordans, Carrolls, Rev. O. R. Hearn, Wagon<span style="font-size: small;"> </span>Master." The Church has an annual homecoming event each year. Both the<span style="font-size: small;"> </span>cemetery and Church are well-kept with a strong fence surrounding the area of<span style="font-size: small;"> the cemetery.</span>"</i> -- Listing Compiled by Lloyd &amp; Linda Chatham, December 26, 1997<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_UyWUnGy2sLU/TOVAxsorPoI/AAAAAAAAAS8/zOSbH8VQ_u0/s1600/brooklynjacksonparish.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="216" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_UyWUnGy2sLU/TOVAxsorPoI/AAAAAAAAAS8/zOSbH8VQ_u0/s320/brooklynjacksonparish.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>"Brooklyn Church traces its beginnings to 1857 when a wagon train of settlers from Georgia<br />camped at the church site and decided to settle in the area. According to church history, there was already a small log church at the site, but the settlers erected a new building soon after their arrival. Neither of these earlier structures is extant; the present building dates from 1902. Regular services at Brooklyn were discontinued in 1939, but homecoming services are held yearly. Upkeep is now the responsibility of the newly formed Brooklyn Church Preservation Society, Inc." - Louisiana Historical Preservation National Register<br /><br /><a href="http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=cr&amp;GScid=67066&amp;GRid=39456990&amp;CRid=67066&amp;">Find a Grave</a> lists 147 internments at Brooklyn Methodist cemetery with photographs of headstones and even a few genealogies.&nbsp; There are interesting headstones such as this <a href="http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&amp;GSsr=41&amp;GScid=67066&amp;GRid=9205311&amp;">one</a>, Davey Chappell 1877-1888, and <a href="http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=pv&amp;GRid=9202176&amp;PIpi=4055901">this one</a> for Mary Alice Head 1864-1871.<br /><br />Photographs from Lousiana Historical PreservationLouisiana Genealogy Blogshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07232128496424412370noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-827449905980894126.post-38029099759509376482010-11-11T11:05:00.000-08:002010-11-11T11:07:12.666-08:00Alexandria National CemeteryThe <a href="http://www.cem.va.gov/cems/nchp/alexandriala.asp#np">Alexandria National Cemetery</a> is open on Veterans Day.&nbsp; It appears that this cemetery is the<b> only</b> National cemetery in Louisiana that will be open on November 11th.&nbsp; Both the Baton Rouge National and Port Hudson National cemeteries will remain closed according to the <a href="http://www.va.gov/">Department of Veteran Affairs</a> website. This cemetery is closed to new internments. <a href="http://www.cem.va.gov/pdf/AlexLA.pdf">More information.</a><br />Notable persons:<br />There are 57 Buffalo Soldiers interred at the Alexandria National Cemetery. They represent the following units: 24th Infantry, 10th Calvary, and the 9th Calvary and are interred in Sections A, B, C, and R.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_UyWUnGy2sLU/TNw-HkOc6tI/AAAAAAAAASI/dw-zTMQjyk0/s1600/alexandrianationallouisiana.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="305" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_UyWUnGy2sLU/TNw-HkOc6tI/AAAAAAAAASI/dw-zTMQjyk0/s400/alexandrianationallouisiana.png" width="400" /></a></div>Louisiana Genealogy Blogshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07232128496424412370noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-827449905980894126.post-92101667065121326552010-10-24T18:42:00.000-07:002010-10-24T18:59:01.939-07:00Sweet Olive RESCUEEveryone remember <a href="http://louisianagraveyardrabbit.blogspot.com/2009/01/sweet-olive-cemetery.html">this</a> post on Sweet Olive Cemetery? Just as a refresher, it's the oldest African American Cemetery in Baton Rouge. It's located at North and 22nd in Mid City.<br /><br />I'm Lindsey, and I'm a public relations senior at LSU. We're partnering with the Mid City Redevelopment Alliance as part of our capstone class to host Sweet Olive RESCUE on Saturday, Oct. 30 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. We're looking for volunteers for a large-scale cleanup of the cemetery that will include weed removal, painting and general maintenance of the historic site.<br /><br />The cleanup will give volunteers the opportunity to make an immediate impact.<br /><br />Supplies and lunch will be provided. If you're interested, you can contact me at BridgeCommunicationsLSU@gmail.com to sign up.<br /><br />We appreciate your support! Special thanks to Louisiana Graveyard Rabbit for allowing us to post!<br /><br />Thanks in advance,<br />Lindsey<br />BridgeCommunicationsLSU@gmail.comBridge Communicationsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-827449905980894126.post-9483341857393906912010-08-23T12:59:00.001-07:002010-08-23T13:12:34.807-07:00Holt CemeteryDid you know that the city owned Holt Cemetery is in the online newspaper <span style="font-style: italic;">again?</span> It is tragic that a historical cemetery that was established in 1876 could come to this. You may read the full online article published here. I estimate that in the last 10 years, Holt cemetery has had at least 10 incidents published some of which are stories of volunteers cleaning up the city owned cemetery. If the city owns the cemetery, then the city is responsible for cleaning it up - or so you would think, right?<br /><br /><a href="http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2010/0/3_families_say_new_orleans_cem.html#incart_rh">[URL http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2010/0/3_families_say_new_orleans_cem.html#incart_rh</a>]<br /><br />There are more stories from WDSU archives concerning Holt. <br />Here are the dates:<br /><br />July 6, 2000 - Complaints of Holt<br />August 19, 2000 - Clean up at Holt<br />January 5, 2001 - Saving Graves Report of Endangered Abandoned Unkempt Cemetery<br />June 30, 2008 - Times Picayune Nicole Dunga - Holt has suffered from years of neglect (Volunteers clean up)<br />March 1, 2009 - Volunteers clean up Holt<br /><br />And here we are again, August 2010.Louisiana Genealogy Blogshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07232128496424412370noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-827449905980894126.post-40771690540851890322010-08-23T08:06:00.000-07:002010-08-23T08:16:10.887-07:00Death of a plantation a very late obituaryWhile the Louisiana Graveyard Rabbit attempts to introduce its readers to Louisiana cemeteries and graveyards through this blog, the author is making an exception for the death of a piece of history in this unremarkable story that is more like an obituary.<br /><br />The Acadia Plantation was dismantled in April 2010 by its owner. The Louisiana National Register of Historic Places may have, at the time of the April 2010 blog authors writing, taken the transcript of the plantation down from its website. It is now online with the addendum: DESTROYED 2010.<br /><br />Read more about Acadia Plantation from someone who grew up in the home, <a href="http://oplater.blogspot.com/2010/04/demolition-of-acadia-plantation.html">Through the Dust: Demolition at Acadia</a> and from <a href="http://thewoundedbird.blogspot.com/2010/04/good-bye-acadia-plantation.html">Wounded Bird: Good Bye Acadia Plantation</a>.<br /><br />The Louisiana National Register of Historic Places had this information concerning the nomination of the historic home site.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Describe the present and original (if known) physical appearance<br />The Acadia Plantation nomination has both an archaeological and standing structures<br />component, as outlined below:<br />ARCHAEOLOGY<br />The Acadia Plantation archaeological site is located south of Bayou Lafourche, along the<br />crest of the natural levee. Highway 1 is now approximately 50 meters to the north, and Nicholls State<br />University is approximately 500 meters to the west-northwest.<br />The nominated area now includes pastures, a house--formed of earlier structures, and<br />plantation outbuildings. This encompasses the original locations of late-eighteenth and<br />early-nineteenth century Acadian homes and probably includes remains of Acadian farm<br />outbuildings, as well as archaeological deposits associated with mid- to late-nineteenth century<br />homes and an early sugar mill. The sugar house, built in 1830, was located southwest of the house<br />that is standing today. It was used until a new sugar mill was built in another area in 1854. Slave<br />quarters and an overseer's house probably were near the original sugar mill.<br />The areas where the Acadian homes were located as well as the areas where the early<br />sugar mill and slave quarters may have been are all in pasture. They have been disked to a depth of<br />two to three inches, but have never been plowed for agriculture, or otherwise deeply disturbed. Land<br />surrounding the nominated area is used for agriculture and has been plowed. Therefore, it is unlikely<br />to have intact deposits.<br />The succession of ownership of the land is well-documented. The Plater family, current<br />owners of the plantation, have copies of original documents of sale, sheriff's sale inventories, slave<br />lists, and structural inventories. The Lafourche Parish Courthouse also houses Conveyance<br />Records from the nineteenth century that document the early property owners at Acadia.<br />Through these records, it is known that Acadian farmers first settled along Bayou Lafourche<br />at Acadia in the late 1700s. Their farms were long and narrow, so many owners could have bayou<br />frontage. Bayou Lafourche provided the transportation link with the rest of the region.<br />Records do not show when the first Acadians arrived, but by 1812, the nominated area had<br />three owners. Pierre Gadre owned Section 34, Jean Morange owned Section 35, except for the<br />upper one arpent, which Nicholas Lanie owned.<br />This upper portion of Section 35 is the location of the "east locality" archaeological site.<br />When Lanie sold this land to James Bowie in 1828 it included "improvements," which probably<br />referred to a house and other structures.<br />The area now called the "west locality" archaeological site in Section 34 was bought from<br />Gadre by Henry S. Thibodaux, then sold to Mr. Picout in 1818, who owned it until his death. The<br />Picout estate sold it to Stephen Bowie in 1830, and the records of sale show that a small house was<br />on the property at that time.<br />Thus, it is documented that the nominated area was settled by Acadian farmers who later<br />sold the land to the Bowie brothers. James Bowie, known for his dueling exploits, may have lived in<br />Rapides Parish during the time of Acadia ownership. Stephen lived in Lafourche Parish, possibly at<br />Acadia, and served as the parish sheriff in the 1830s. Rezin, designer of the Bowie knife, served in<br />the state legislature and lived in Lafourche Parish. He probably lived at Acadia and managed the<br />first steam-powered crushing mill in the state. It is this mill that was located southwest of the big<br />house now standing. The Bowies sold the plantation to three men from Natchez, Mississippi in 1831,<br />and subsequently the property changed hands many times.<br />The Plater family, knowledgeable about this history, had observed artifacts in the west locality and<br />east locality. They invited archaeologists from the Louisiana State Archaeologist's Office to visit<br />Acadia in 1976, and they have subsequently funded test excavations at the site. The archaeologists<br />who recorded the site conducted a pedestrian survey, with shovel testing and probing. They<br />investigated two apparent house sites, at the north end of Section 34 and at the north end of Section<br />35.<br />In the west locality, they recorded midden and artifacts over an area 50m (NE-SW) by 130m<br />(NW-SE). The material collected included ceramics, glass, brick fragments, and oyster shells. The<br />artifact types suggested an occupation throughout the nineteenth century.<br />In the east locality, they recorded artifacts over an area of approximately 35m (NE-SW) by<br />65m (NW-SE). A large percentage of the ceramics were pearlware or creamware, suggesting an<br />occupation in the early nineteenth century. The size, depth, and materials observed are those<br />expected for historic houses. This initial recording and survey suggested that the east locality may<br />have been the Acadian house sold to James Bowie in 1823. If so, it does not appear to have been<br />occupied after that time.<br />The west locality, however, was occupied during and after the time Stephen Bowie lived at<br />Acadia. It may have been the Acadian residence sold to Bowie. Based on the time it was used, this<br />could also have been the location of one of the houses that was consolidated to form the large<br />house that is now standing.<br />Additional archaeological testing in the east and west localities was directed by Richard<br />Beavers of the University of New Orleans. Three test pits were placed in the west locality, revealing<br />a midden 15cm thick. The corner of a brick pier, artifacts, and a layer of brick rubble were<br />uncovered. About 10 percent of the ceramics were creamware and pearlware, substantiating earlier<br />findings that the area dates to the nineteenth century.<br />One test pit was placed in the east locality, and brick paving and ceramics were recovered.<br />Pearlware and creamware accounted for approximately 73% of the ceramics, confirming the earlier<br />finding that the area appears to date to the last quarter of the eighteenth century. or the first part of<br />the nineteenth century. No testing has been conducted in the area that may be the location of the<br />1830 sugar mill, but it is likely that it, along with an overseer's house and slave quarters, remain in<br />the triangular-shaped pasture southwest of the standing house.<br />STANDING STRUCTURES<br />The present standing structures at Acadia include a c.1890 frame Queen Anne Revival<br />main house, two contemporaneous cottages, and several relatively modern outbuildings. Although<br />the main house has been altered, it still retains enough of its Queen Anne Revival-Eastlake styling to<br />merit National Register listing.<br />According to family history, the present main house was assembled from three older houses<br />in about 1850. The resulting composite structure was raised seven feet and renovated in the Queen<br />Revival style in about 1890. An early photograph shows two of the houses before they were<br />"assembled." The fact that such a photograph exists tends to indicate that the house was probably<br />moved together in the later nineteenth century rather than in 1850. However, speculation on this<br />point is moot because the 1890 renovation was so complete that there is virtually nothing visible<br />from the earlier houses. For all intents and purposes one is dealing with a c.1890 structure.<br />The house has a rambling cruciform plan with ten major rooms on the principal story. One<br />approaches Acadia via two flights of steps which ascend a full story to an elaborate Eastlake gallery.<br />This gallery makes a total of four ninety degree turns as it runs from one side of the house to the<br />other. The gallery culminates in an open columnar turret which at one time had a faceted conical<br />roof. The main entrance of the house is marked by an oeil-de-boeuf gable supported by two<br />enormous sunburst brackets. Each of the Eastlake gallery columns is surmounted by a rounder<br />bracket ornamented with pateras. The balusters are rather unusual, being square with rowder-cut<br />flutes.<br />The complex roofline consists of a central pyramid with gabled wings coming off on all four<br />sides. Dormers are of two types--gablets and the more conventional sash window type. All of them<br />are ornamented with oeil-de-boeuf motifs. Overall, the roofline features a total of fifteen gables<br />(including the dormers). The roofline is further enlivened by a central ornamental vent stack and five<br />chimneys.<br />Each of the principal gables is ornamented with imbricated shingles. At one time they also<br />featured a large oculus and decorative vergeboards, but these were removed in the 1930s. (Each<br />oculus was replaced by a conventional sash window.<br />Other noteworthy exterior features include the oculus windows at the basement level, the<br />window and door cornices, and the shutters, most of which are original to the 1890 period. The<br />interiors are spacious but fairly plain. Essentially the floor plan takes its shape around an off-center<br />hall. Many of the rooms were reworked with a Georgian-looking panel treatment in the 1940s. Also<br />at about that time part of the hall was enlarged to form a living area and small rear and side<br />extensions were built.<br />Assessment of Integrity:<br />The statement of architectural significance is concerned with Acadia as it existed after 1890.<br />Despite the changes the house has undergone since that time, it still retains enough significant<br />features to establish its local architectural importance (see Item 8).<br />CONTRIBUTING ELEMENTS<br />The archaeological east and west localities are listed as contributing elements. Architectural<br />contributing elements are shown as solid dark shapes on the attached to-scale map. They include<br />the main house, two cisterns, and two servants cottages, all of which are contemporaneous. The<br />early dependencies illustrate the type of support structures a large plantation house of the<br />late-nineteenth century would have had. Non-contributing elements are shown on the map as hollow<br />outlined shapes. They include two garages, two sheds, two small houses, two barns, and a stable,<br />none of which date from the period of architectural significance.<br />CONTRIBUTING ELEMENTS COUNT: 7<br />Specific dates late 18th-19th century (archaeology)<br />c.1890 (house)<br />Builder/Architect Uncertain (house)<br />Statement of Significance (in one paragraph)<br />Acadia Plantation is of state significance in the area of historic archaeology and of local<br />significance in the area of architecture.<br />HISTORIC ARCHAEOLOGY - CRITERION D<br />The archaeological components of Acadia Plantation provide an unusual opportunity to<br />study Acadian farmsteads of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, and to document<br />consolidation of these farmsteads into a bayou-focused sugar plantation in the nineteenth century.<br />Test excavations have shown the archaeological deposits at Acadia to be intact and well preserved.<br />Study of these in the future will provide information that is not available at other sites of their age and<br />that will contribute to the understanding of eighteenth and nineteenth century Louisiana.<br />As discussed in Louisiana's Comprehensive Archaeological Plan, the most notable<br />immigrants to the state during the late eighteenth century were the Acadians. However, knowledge<br />of sites where they settled is meager and attempts to locate them have had disappointing results.<br />Acadian farmsteads are identified in the plan as rare in expected frequency, and in fact, only one<br />Acadian site of any kind is listed in the plan. Two others, in addition to Acadia, are now in the<br />Louisiana site files, but these are both described as plantations. Small farmsteads are more typical<br />of Acadian settlement patterns. Acadia is unique in having at least two farmsteads on the property.<br />Also, according to Louisiana's Comprehensive Archaeological Plan, very little research has<br />been conducted at sugar plantations in Louisiana. Of the sugar plantations listed in the plan, all but<br />one is on the Mississippi River. The other is on the Ouachita River, leaving no examples of<br />bayou-focused sugar plantations. The only sugar plantations other than Acadia where excavation<br />work has been conducted are on the Mississippi.<br />The early development of the plantation can be studied at Acadia because the 1830s sugar<br />house, slave quarters, and overseer's house were abandoned in 1854 when new ones were built in<br />another area. This gives an opportunity to study remains known to date to a brief time period. Areas<br />around houses used in the nineteenth century are known to have been in pasture since the latter<br />part of the century, and thus, archaeological deposits are preserved.<br />In summary, "Acadia represents a pattern of early settlement and consolidation common to<br />small bayous, exemplifies the pattern of development of these plantations, provides a distinct<br />contrast to patterns known for the large land grants along the Mississippi River and is rare in having<br />remained a unit ...." (Beavers 1983:105).<br />Specific research goals identified in the plan that have been, or can be, addressed at Acadia<br />include the following:<br />1. "Obtain basic locational data on colonial agricultural complexes like ... early<br />Acadian farmsteads."<br />2. "Examine the ties between Louisiana and French Canada.... Where were the initial<br />Acadian settlements?"<br />3. "Examine the role, regional diversity, and history of Louisiana's antebellum<br />plantation society. What differences existed between the cotton plantation and the<br />sugar plantation...?"<br />4. "Investigate the small antebellum farmstead. What differences exist between the<br />small Acadian farmstead and the Upland South farmstead? What relationships<br />existed between them and the large plantations? Between these farmsteads and<br />the rural villages?"<br />5. "Define any differences identifiable in the archaeological remains of antebellum<br />ethnic enclaves like the free blacks, Creoles, urban Irish, Acadians and those of<br />mixed ancestry."<br />Acadia also can provide answers to these questions:<br />1. What outbuildings were associated with Acadian farmsteads?<br />2. How is the 1830s land consolidation reflected in the archaeological record? Were<br />Acadian homes abandoned or reoccupied?<br />3. What was the design of an early steam-driven sugar mill?<br />4. How do the early nineteenth century slave quarters and the overseer's house<br />compare to those of the latter half of the nineteenth century?<br />ARCHITECTURE - CRITERION C<br />The main house at Acadia is locally significant in the area of architecture as a landmark<br />among late nineteenth-early twentieth century residences in Lafourche Parish. There is no doubt<br />that if Acadia had not suffered the losses of integrity described in Item 7, it would be far and away<br />the most impressive late nineteenth/early twentieth century residence in Lafourche Parish. Even in<br />its altered state, it is still a residential landmark of the period. Its long and elaborate Eastlake gallery<br />is a feature found on only four other period residences in the parish. In addition, complex rooflines<br />were a favorite Queen Anne Revival device, and Acadia's is one of the five most elaborate<br />examples in the parish. Indeed, with well over thirty roof planes, Acadia's roofline is probably more<br />complicated than any other. Despite the loss of the conical turret top, the turret shape which remains<br />still contributes much to Acadia's elaborate massing. Of course, Acadia is inferior in this respect to<br />the five other Queen Anne Revival residences in the parish that completely retain their turrets. But it<br />is superior to the hundreds of other period residences that do not have even the semblance of a<br />turret. Finally, Acadia is a vast rambling house that in many ways has the architectural stature of a<br />villa. It is easily the largest example of the Queen Anne Revival style in Lafourche Parish.<br />Major Bibliographical References<br />Beavers, Richard C., 1983, Preliminary Archaeological Reconnaissance and Assessment of A<br />Plantation, Research Report No. 6, Archaeological and Cultural Research Program,<br />University of New Orleans, New Orleans.<br />Old photos in possession of Plater Family.<br />Louisiana Historic Structures Survey, Lafourche Parish.</span>Louisiana Genealogy Blogshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07232128496424412370noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-827449905980894126.post-48469501577559324292010-08-23T07:49:00.000-07:002010-08-23T08:05:14.100-07:00Baton Rouge National Cemetery<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_UyWUnGy2sLU/THKKuajL3lI/AAAAAAAAAPw/o0IJrLQPy1Q/s1600/brnational.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 221px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_UyWUnGy2sLU/THKKuajL3lI/AAAAAAAAAPw/o0IJrLQPy1Q/s320/brnational.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5508617824233053778" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">The Baton Rouge National Cemetery is located at 220 North 19th Street, Baton Rouge,<br />Louisiana, in East Baton Rouge Parish, about 1 1/4 miles from the grounds of the state capitol. It is adjacent to the city cemetery. The grounds are rectangular in shape and were originally enclosed by a wooden picket fence. which was replaced with a brick wall constructed in 1878. The entire wall was surfaced with stucco in 1936. The main entrance is located on 19th Street at the center of the west side and is protected by a double iron gate with a pedestrian gate on each side. These gates were constructed in 1933. There are two additional gates, one on Convention Street near the utility building, and a service gate on the east side along 22nd Street, which was constructed in 1952. The lodge is located near the main entrance, and the utility building is situated just south of the lodge. As you enter the cemetery, the flagpole is located across the avenue from the lodge. It is situated on a mound with a six-inch concrete coping laid in octagon shape. Near the center of the cemetery is a rostrum.<br /><br />The cemetery was established in 1867. Henry W. Taylor, a discharged 1st Sergeant of<br />Company B. Forty-fifth Regiment of Infantry, was the first superintendent. His appointment was dated June 1, 1868. Graves were originally marked by wooden headboards that were later replaced with upright marble headstones. As of January 31, 1997, there were 5,046 sites used for the interment of 5,362 casket remains and 25 sites used for the interment of 31 cremated remains. The cemetery closed in 1960, except for interments in occupied and reserved graves. As of January 31, 1997, there were 24 gravesites available (22 reserved) for the interment of casket remains and 262 sites available for the interment of cremated remains.<br />The original superintendent's lodge was a wooden cottage containing three rooms with a<br />piazza all around and shutters on all windows. This structure was later replaced with a 1 1/2-story brick lodge. The present lodge, constructed in 1931, is a one-story, seven-room stucco structure, with a sun porch and basement. The roof is asphalt shingles and replaced the original slate roof.<br /><br />The enclosed porch was renovated in 1962. A wall of the same material as the cemetery perimeter wall surrounds the lodge. The brick utility building, containing public restrooms, was constructed in 1932. The original roof was made of asbestos shingles and was replaced circa 1992 with an asphalt shingle roof.<br /><br />The octagon-shaped rostrum is constructed of iron frame with the lower section made of<br />brick with a stucco surface. The posts and supporting steps are made of cast iron. with black steel railings. The galvanized iron roof has been removed.<br />A brick public rest room building with an asbestos shingle roof. constructed in 1939. was<br />removed in 1952.<br /><br />There is one commemorative monument in the Baton Rouge National Cemetery:<br />Massachusetts Monument - A large granite monument erected in 1909 by the Commonwealth of<br />Massachusetts. In 1908, the legislature authorized the monument in memory of the officers of the 31st and 41st Infantry and the men from Massachusetts who lost their lives in the Department of the Gulf during the Civil War. It was constructed by J. N. White and Sons of first-class Quincy monumental granite at a cost of $5,000. The eagle, Massachusetts seal, etc., are made of bronze.<br /><br />The monument is inscribed as follows:<br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:85%;">MASSACHUSETTS</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">IN MEMORY OF</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">THE OFFICERS AND MEN OF THE FEDERAL</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">ARMY AND NAVY FROM MASSACHUSETTS</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">WHO LOST THEIR LIVES IN THE DEPARTMENT</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">OF THE GULF DURING THE CIVIL WAR</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">1861 - 1865</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">ORGANIZATIONS</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">THAT SERVED IN THE DEPARTMENT</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">4TH INFANTRY</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">26TH INFANTRY 47TH INFANTRY</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">30TH INFANTRY 48TH INFANTRY</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">31ST INFANTRY 49TH INFANTRY</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">38TH INFANTRY 50TH INFANTRY</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">41ST INFANTRY 52ND INFANTRY</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">42ND INFANTRY 53RD INFANTRY</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">2ND LIGHT BATTERY 7TH LIGHT BATTERY</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">4TH LIGHT BATTERY 12TH LIGHT BATTERY</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">6TH LIGHT BATTERY 13TH LIGHT BATTERY</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">15TH LIGHT BATTERY</span><br /></div><span style="font-size:85%;"><br />The numbers shown for contributing resources within the property reflect the following:<br />Buildings: Lodge, utility building<br />Sites: Cemetery<br />Structures: Gates (3), perimeter wall, rostrum<br />Objects: Flagpole, Massachusetts monument, Bronze plaque affixed to flagpole, plaque in<br />front of cemetery<br /><br /><br />NARRATIVE STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE<br />The Baton Rouge National Cemetery is significant under Criterion A and is an important<br />component of the multiple property submission of Civil War Era National Cemeteries. It is significant<br />under Criterion A because of its association with the Civil War. The cemetery is also significant<br />beyond the Civil War era, as it includes the remains of veterans associated with every war and<br />branch of service who have served their country throughout its history.<br />The period of significance ends in 1932, the year of construction of the utility building.<br />In early May 1862, Captain Thomas T. Craven. with seven vessels. was sent to Baton<br />Rouge to take the capital city. On May 7, 1862. Commander James S. Palmer from Craven's<br />detachment. proceeded to Baton Rouge aboard the Iroquois and demanded the surrender of the<br />city. Receiving no satisfactory answer. Palmer landed a force on the morning of the ninth and<br />claimed possession of the arsenal and barracks. Captain David G. Farragut also moved up to Baton<br />Rouge.<br /><br />At Baton Rouge, James B. Kimball, the chief engineer of the Hartford. had dumped his dirty<br />laundry into a small boat manned by four sailors and started for a house near the wharf to find a<br />wash woman. As the party neared the shore, about forty guerrillas rushed down the levee and<br />blasted the boat with buckshot. slightly injuring Kimball and two of the sailors. When Farragut<br />learned of this, he ordered the Hartford and Kennebec to open fire. Surprisingly, only one woman<br />was killed, three were wounded, and two drowned while trying to escape. The gunboats continued to<br />shell the town as long as they thought they could see any trace of the guerrillas. Later, Farragut<br />assured the citizens, and later the mayor, that unless he were attacked again, he would not fire into<br />the city. The next morning, May 29. General Thomas Williams arrived in Baton Rouge with his<br />troops. Farragut requested that he go ashore and protect the lives and property of the loyal citizens.<br />The guerrillas had threatened to return and destroy Baton Rouge in order to keep the Federal troops<br />from taking over the city. General Williams landed and took possession of the United States<br />barracks and set up his artillery. Feeling that Baton Rouge was relatively safe. Farragut left two<br />gunboats to aid General Williams and departed for New Orleans to obtain supplies. Williams<br />subsequently left a small force to protect Baton Rouge and left for Vicksburg, Mississippi.<br />On July 16, Williams was urged by General Butler to return down-river as soon as possible<br />to blockade Red River and help protect Baton Rouge. He arrived in Baton Rouge on July 26.<br />Williams was a stickler for petty regulations. In the enervating heat of Baton Rouge, he continued to<br />hold regular drill and frequent full-dress inspections. More and more men sickened and died. Nearly<br />half of the entire garrison at Baton Rouge was on the sick list.<br /><br />When the Federal fleet took leave of Vicksburg, Major General Earl Van Dorn quickly<br />assumed the offensive and ordered General John G. Breckenridge to lead an expedition to strike at<br />Baton Rouge. He and his men reached the capital in the early morning of August :. Breckinridge<br />placed his forces on the left and right side of the Greenwell Springs Road in a single line of battle.<br />The Confederate troops waited in line for daylight to begin the attack. The citizens of Baton Rouge<br />had been awakened at dawn by the fire of musketry and the deeper roar of the cannon. As the battle<br />neared, many persons panicked. Men. women. and children ran to escape the horrors of the<br />bursting shells, the flying bullets, and the hand-to-hand fighting in the city.<br /><br />Some three hundred miles above Baton Rouge, the ram Arkansas had completed her<br />repairs and hastily left Vicksburg to reinforce the Confederate force in its attack on Baton Rouge.<br />Delays were caused by several stops for repairs. The troops had done all that could be done until<br />the coming of the Arkansas. Just four miles above Baton Rouge, the ram developed new difficulties<br />and was tied up to the bank. Enemy gunboats appeared. The last engine trouble proved worse than<br />expected. and when the enemy gunboats began their cautious approach, the Arkansas could not be<br />moved. Several shots were exchanged by the two forces with little or no effect. Lieutenant Henry K.<br />Stevens ordered the crew ashore. set the ship afire. cut the moorings, and set her adrift. When the<br />flames reached the shot guns they discharged. The fire finally reached the magazine, and the ship<br />exploded. At four o'clock in the afternoon, Breckenridge learned of the fate of the Arkansas and<br />abandoned all plans to resume the attack. Around dark he ordered his troops to withdraw to the<br />Comite River. The following day, they reached the river and went into camp. An outpost was<br />established at Pratt's far, only five miles from Baton Rouge. but the Confederates were in no danger,<br />as the enemy did not leave the city.<br /><br />The battle had lasted only a short time, but the fighting had been severe. The Union had<br />383 casualties: 84 killed, 266 wounded, and 33 either captured or missing. Confederate losses were<br />estimated to be 84 killed. 315 wounded, and 57 missing.<br /><br />For nearly two weeks, the work of building up defenses for Baton Rouge went forward. in<br />anticipation of a second attack from the Confederates. One third of the town was burned or torn<br />down so that the gunboats. located above and below town, would have a clean sweep and be able<br />to converge their fire on the rear and side approaches to the town. Colonel H. E. Paine of the Fourth<br />Wisconsin assumed command on August 6.<br /><br />General Butler, who had previously decided to hold Baton Rouge, changed his mind. He<br />feared that the next Confederate target would be New Orleans and wanted to concentrate his men<br />there. He ordered Colonel Paine to burn Baton Rouge to the ground. Three days later, he<br />countermanded his orders and advised Paine to leave Baton Rouge as intact as possible. Butler<br />also ordered the release of several hundred convicts from the Penitentiary and ordered them to<br />enlist in the United States army. On August 21. the troops with all their guns, equipment and spoils,<br />moved down to Carrolton, just above New Orleans. and began strengthening the defenses of Camp<br />Parapet in anticipation of a Confederate movement against New Orleans.<br /><br />Two gunboats, the Essex and the No. 7, remained before Baton Rouge and threatened to<br />shell the entire town if Confederate forces entered. Citizens who had fled before the battle began to<br />move back into town. Captain David G. Farragut had suggested that Baton Rouge should be<br />reoccupied without delay. About half the expeditionary force. several thousand men. under Brigadier<br />General Cuvier Grover was ordered to accompany the Richmond and four of Farragut's gunboats up<br />to Baton Rouge and to occupy the place. On December 17. 1862, the mission was successfully<br />accomplished.<br /><br />The town presented a desolate appearance. Many of the houses had been punctured by<br />cannon balls. Work was started to clean up the battle debris and strengthen the fortifications. On the<br />night of December 28. the beautiful Gothic capitol building was set on fire by careless troops<br />occupying the place. All through the night, the Baton Rouge skyline was lighted up by the bright<br />flames. Despite the efforts of the Union commander to extinguish the fire, the next morning the<br />building was a shell with only blackened scorched and windowless walls remaining.<br />The Battle of Baton Rouge was fought in close proximity to the site on which the Baton<br />Rouge National Cemetery was established. Some troops were stationed directly behind the<br />Magnolia Cemetery, which is adjacent to the national cemetery.<br /><br />A marker of interest is that of General Philemon Thomas. Thomas directed the capture of<br />Baton Rouge from the Spanish in 1810 and fought in both the Revolutionary War and the War of<br />1812. At the request of the Mayor of Baton Rouge, his remains were disinterred from an abandoned<br />cemetery and reentered in the Baton Rouge National Cemetery in 1886. The large flat marker at his<br />grave in Section 3. is inscribed as follows:<br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:85%;">TO THE</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">MEMORY OF</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">GEN'L. PHILEMON THOMAS</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">WHO WAS BORN</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">IN ORANGE COUNTY, VA.</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">FEBY. 9TH, 1763</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">AND DIED</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">IN BATON ROUGE, LA.</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">NOV. 18TH 1847</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">THIS TABLET ERECTED BY</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">HIS CHILDREN</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">HE WAS A SOLDIER OF '76' AND OF '14', A MEMBER</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">OF THE CONVENTION THAT FRAMED THE CONSTITUTION</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">OF KENTUCKY AND A MEMBER OF HER LEGISLATURE</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">HE REMOVED TO LOUISIANA IN 1806</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">COMMANDED THE FORCES WHICH CAPTURED THE</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">SPANISH FORT AT BATON ROUGE IN 1810. SERVED</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">MANY YEARS IN THE LEGISLATURE OF LOUISIANA.</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">AND WAS TWICE ELECTED TO THE CONGRESS OF THE</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">U.S. THROUGHOUT HIS CAREER, HE WAS CALLED</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">A PATRIOT AND A GOOD CITIZEN - WE KNOW HIM</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">TO BE A KIND FATHER AND A FIRM CHRISTIAN.</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">"SIC TIBI IN TERRA LEVIS"</span><br /><br /></div><span style="font-size:85%;">There is a total of 20 of these large flat markers in Section 3. Many are cracked and much<br />of the inscription has been worn away by the elements. Some of these markers were placed in other<br />cemeteries as early as 1830 and the remains, along with the large markers, were moved to the<br />Baton Rouge National Cemetery circa 1890. The decedents were both adults as well as children of<br />officers. Removal of a levee by the U. S. Army Engineers necessitated discontinuance of a cemetery<br />known as the Old Post Cemetery of the Arsenal Grounds.<br />A cast bronze plaque affixed to the flagpole is inscribed as follows:<br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">UNITED STATES</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">NATIONAL MILITARY CEMETERY</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">BATON ROUGE</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">ESTABLISHED 1867.</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">INTERMENTS 2936.</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">KNOWN 2442.</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">UNKNOWN 494.</span><br /><br /></div><span style="font-size:85%;">In many national cemeteries, such a plaque was affixed to a large monument made of an<br />original cast iron seacoast artillery tube, secured by a concrete base. Records indicate that there<br />were two large gun monuments placed in the central avenue of the Baton Rouge National<br />Cemetery. These monuments were subsequently removed, but the plaque was preserved and<br />restored.<br />A plaque in front of the cemetery reads as follows:<br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:85%;">NATIONAL</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">CEMETERY</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Federal soldiers killed in</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">the Battle of Baton Rouge</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">August 5, 1860.</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">were buried on this site</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">which became a</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">National Cemetery in 1867.</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Among soldiers buried here</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">is General Philemon Thomas</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">remembered for his</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">attack on the Spanish fort</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">at Baton Rouge in 1810,</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">which established the</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">West Florida Republic</span><br /></div><span style="font-size:85%;">When the national cemetery was established in 1867, the original burials were of soldiers<br />who fell on the battlefield near Baton Rouge or died in the hospitals and the remains of Union<br />soldiers removed from Plaquemine, Louisiana, and Camden Arkansas. There are three Confederate<br />soldiers buried in the cemetery.<br /><br />Three former superintendents of the national cemetery are buried here:<br />Aden &amp; Emma King - Aden was superintendent from 1920-1924. He died during his service as<br />superintendent, and his wife, Emma, was appointed to the position upon his death. Both are buried<br />in Section 2 (Graves 3145 and 3145A).<br /><br />Levi S. Porter - Superintendent from 1932-1934. He is buried in Section 7, Grave 5.<br />In 1878, when the brick wall was being built around the cemetery to replace the picket<br />fence. the Government had let a contract to Michael and Bernard Jodd, thought to be from Boston,<br />Massachusetts. They brought with them a crew of bricklayers and hired local men to carry brick and<br />mortar. About this time, yellow fever was raging in the south and, before the wall was completed,<br />both of the Judds contracted the fever and died in September 1878. They are buried in Section 44,<br />and private headstones mark their graves. The wall was later completed by local men.<br />The cemetery contains 7.7 acres. The site was formerly owned by Pierre Baron and<br />Simonna Bareno. from whom the right and title, in fee simple, were purchased by the United States<br />on October 16, 1868. for the sum of $3.600.00. A small strip of land? ten inches wide, on Dufrocq<br />Street and one of twenty-four inches on Florida Street were donated to the United States on April<br />21, 1873, by the City of Baton Rouge.<br /><br /><br />MAJOR BIBLIOGRAPHICAL REFERENCES<br />National Cemetery System Microfilm Records<br />Department of Veterans Affairs Historic Preservation Office<br />Report of Inspector of the National Cemeteries of the United States for 1869<br />Report of the Inspector of the National Cemeteries for the years 1870 and 1871<br />Holt, Dean W. American Military Cemeteries. North Carolina. McFarland and Company, Inc., 1992.<br />Winters, John D. The Civil War in Louisiana. Louisiana State University Press 1963.</span><br /><br />[Photo and summary taken from Louisiana National Register of Historic Places]Louisiana Genealogy Blogshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07232128496424412370noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-827449905980894126.post-89417351838371160802010-02-11T11:41:00.000-08:002010-02-11T11:53:13.520-08:00Asphodel Plantation Cemetery<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_UyWUnGy2sLU/S3ReTBZxR9I/AAAAAAAAANk/CcJFHedQ2NE/s1600-h/asphodalcemetery.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 220px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_UyWUnGy2sLU/S3ReTBZxR9I/AAAAAAAAANk/CcJFHedQ2NE/s320/asphodalcemetery.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5437074331030079442" border="0" /></a><br />Asphodel Plantation was built in 1820-1830; it took 10 years to complete. It's cemetery is listed as one of the only private cemeteries on the National Register of Historic Places.<br /><br />From the <a href="http://www.asphodelplantation.com/">Asphodel Plantation website</a>: <span style="font-weight: bold;">"The </span><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.asphodelplantation.com/cemetary.html" target="body">Asphodel cemetery</a><span style="font-weight: bold;"> is the only private residential cemetery in Louisiana listed on the National Historic Register. Established in the 1830's with the entombment of Benjamin and Carolyn Kendrick, the cemetery contains the remains of every deceased owner of Asphodel. Asphodel's cemetery has been listed on the </span><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.uh.edu/%7Ecleimer/register.html" target="body">National Register's List of Historic Burial Sites</a><span style="font-weight: bold;">."</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE</span><br />Lyle Saxon has called Asphodel the "jewel of Louisiana" because it epitomizes an era when<br />great fortunes could be made in the Old Southwest by the cultivation of cotton.<br />Here in the Felicianas of Louisiana were men of much culture and sophistication. Many<br />designed their own dwellings with great ability not only from their knowledge of art but also from an understanding of the climate in which they built.<br /><br />Benjamin Kendrick is an example of one of these men who built with much care a house<br />that has some of the finest interior woodwork to be found anywhere. The construction of Asphodel began about 1820 and lasted nearly 10 years. The fine workmanship, the attention to detail, the knowledgeable application of symmetry and elegance were never planned with some future in mind that might turn Asphodel into a museum. It was built as a gift for his wife, Caroline.<br /><br />The original noun asphodel means any lilaceous plant - daffodils to the 18th century English<br />and French poets and narcissus to their Greek counterparts of a much earlier era. Thus as the<br />builder, he left for posterity a fine example of classicisms, the marriage of language and<br />architecture. The year that construction of Asphodel was completed, Benjamin Kendrick died leaving one daughter, Isabel, who married Col. Robert Fluker.<br /><br />During the 10 years the house was under construction, John James Audubon painted the<br />portraits of Kendrick's daughter, Isabel Kendrick Fluker, and the first two (sons) of her twelve<br />children by Robert Fluker. These paintings are now in Virginia and bear the inscription "painted at their beloved Asphodel."<br /><br />The Civil War changed the life style of the Flukers as it did for many other Southeners.<br />During the Battle of Port Hudson, a group of Union soldiers set fire to Asphodel. Miraculously, the fire went out.<br /><br />After the War, Poverty was the guest who stayed longest at Asphodel as at many of the<br />other great houses in the South. For approximately 40 years until their deaths in 1945 and 1948, the Misses Smith were guardians of the family heritage at Asphodel. In all this time, they never left the grounds, and when they died they were buried in the family plot on the grounds.<br /><br />See: <a href="http://www.crt.state.la.us/hp/nhl/search_results.asp?search_type=parish&amp;value=East+Feliciana&amp;pageno=1">Data</a>Louisiana Genealogy Blogshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07232128496424412370noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-827449905980894126.post-51556901456651317122009-10-11T09:25:00.000-07:002009-10-11T09:48:49.826-07:00Alphenia Plantation Cemetery<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://api.ning.com/files/H32ZhsFUa3OygH1amaCRiMy1UJUSPkcmLuQMt2SdCt89caPBfKTVZbA5218nPA7u/IMG_8421.JPG?width=737&amp;height=491"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 737px; height: 491px;" src="http://api.ning.com/files/H32ZhsFUa3OygH1amaCRiMy1UJUSPkcmLuQMt2SdCt89caPBfKTVZbA5218nPA7u/IMG_8421.JPG?width=737&amp;height=491" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />Alphenia Plantation Cemetery was photographed recently on the <a href="http://louisiana-cemetery-preservation.ning.com/photo/albums/alphenia-plantation-tensas">Louisiana Cemetery Preservation Ning</a>. The family cemetery is located in Tensas Parish, Waterproof, Louisiana. The <a href="http://files.usgwarchives.org/la/caddo/bios/ftwhited.txt">USGenWeb Archives</a> has one published document pertaining to Alphenia Plantation, where James Bowman is buried. Here is a headstone photograph of James Bowman's headstone from the Louisiana Cemetery Preservation Ning taken by John Black.Louisiana Genealogy Blogshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07232128496424412370noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-827449905980894126.post-88198052044284650642009-06-23T06:58:00.000-07:002009-06-23T07:00:38.204-07:00East Carrol ParishSandy Moore has an East Carroll Parish cemetery AND <a href="http://eastcarrollparishlouisianagenealogy.blogspot.com/">genealogy</a> blog. You should check out her cemetery surveys and photographs <a href="http://myeastcarrollgenealogy.blogspot.com/">here </a>.Louisiana Genealogy Blogshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07232128496424412370noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-827449905980894126.post-12310144278582578182009-04-18T09:13:00.000-07:002011-01-30T11:39:43.370-08:00Christ Episcopal Church Cemetery Assumption Parish<a href="http://www.crt.state.la.us/hp/nhl/parish04/04003101.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><br /></a><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.crt.state.la.us/hp/nationalregister/nhl/parish04/04003001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.crt.state.la.us/hp/nationalregister/nhl/parish04/04003001.jpg" /></a></div><a href="http://www.crt.state.la.us/hp/nhl/parish04/04003003.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><br /></a><br />"...Christ Episcopal Church is situated on the west bank of Bayou Lafourche on a long, narrow<br />lot located in the sugar cane producing community of Napoleonville, Louisiana. The land donated by Dr. E. E. Kittredge for the church is on the corner of what used to be Elm Hall Plantation. The beautifully proportioned building is in almost perfect scale with the narrow lot, its tall neighboring trees and the small town of Napoleonville.<br /><br />Designed by Architect Frank Wills of New York City in the Gothic Revival style similar to<br />English village churches from the medieval period, the church was built in 1853 by local carpenters at a cost of $9,500, which was raised locally..."<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.crt.state.la.us/hp/nationalregister/nhl/parish04/04003003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.crt.state.la.us/hp/nationalregister/nhl/parish04/04003003.jpg" /></a></div><br /><br />"...Behind Christ Church, and taking up almost one-half of the property, is Christ Church<br />Cemetery. The first row of tombs is situated about twelve feet from the back of the church and<br />extends across the entire width of the property. The first few rows contain marble and granite vaults, many bearing the names of the early members of Christ Church - Kittredge, Barton, Pugh, Lanier, Dodge, Sundberry, Folly. The family vault of Dr. Ebeneezer Eaton Kittredge is a handsome marble structure enclosed by a wrought iron fence. There are some graves which bear dates prior to the building of the church, and it must be assumed that the bodies wore moved to this cemetery after 1853. Not all of the graves are as impressive as that of the Kittredge family. Mingled with the larger tombs arc more modest, but well kept brick tombs, and there are also some crumbling, unmarked graves. . ." - Louisiana National Register of Historic Places<br /><br />Historic Name: Christ Episcopal Church and Cemetery<br />Other Names: <br />Address: La Highway 1 (Between Court House Street and La Highway 1008)<br />City: Napoleonville<br />Parish: Assumption<br />State: LA<br />Zipcode: 70390<br />Status: National Register<br />Date Placed on National Register: 5/2/1977<br />Level of Significance: Local<br />Area of Significance: Architecture, Military, Religion<br />Property Type: Church<br />Architectural Style: Gothic Revival (19th Century)<br />Architect: Wills, Frank<br />Theme: Anglo-American Architecture, Military<br /><br /><br /><br />STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE<br /><br />Christ Episcopal Church in Napoleonville, Louisiana is significant local for several reasons.<br />It exemplifies the typical mid-nineteenth century Episcopal church established in Louisiana by<br />Bishop Leonidas K. Polk and is unusual for the important role it played in a predominantly Catholic section of the state. The church is a good example of the Gothic Revival style, in this case reminiscent of English village churches. It was designed by an important New York Gothic<br />Revivalist, Frank Wills. During the Civil War, Christ Church was used as a barracks for Union troops and then as a stable for their horses. The stained glass was used for target practice, and then fire left the Church a ruin. Many prominent church and community leaders are buried in Christ Church Cemetery.<br /><br />In his Episcopal address delivered in 1834 at a convention held at Grace Church in St.<br />Francisville, Bishop Polk, who had had a year to study the problems of the Diocese of Louisiana,<br />identified a four-fold challenge: (1) to make divine services available in English to a part of the<br />country which had known only those in Latin, (2) to establish parishes among those settlers who had been Episcopalians before migrating to Louisiana, (3) to bring into the Church those as yet<br />unchurched, and (4) to provide a ministry to the Negro population. In the score of years during which Bishop Polk labored as a diocesan in Louisiana, the number of church buildings increased from three to thirty- three; the congregations from six to forty-seven for Caucasians and more than thirty for Negroes; the clergy from six to thirty-two; and the communicants from 222 to 1,859. The congregations of Negroes included 3 ,600 persons. Christ Church, which was the nineteenth or twentieth edifice to be built during his episcopacy, illustrates well the success of Bishop Polk's efforts in the decade before the Civil War began. The history of Christ Church also constitutes a good response to Bishop Polk's four-fold challenge.<br /><br />Soon after Bishop Polk resigned as Missionary Bishop of Arkansas with supervision of the<br />Dioceses of Mississippi, Louisiana and Alabama and Episcopal oversight of the Republic of Texas to become the first Episcopal Bishop of Louisiana in 1841, he settled upon Bayou Lafourche at Leighton Plantation. He encouraged his plantation neighbors and friends formerly members of the Episcopal Church in such places as Virginia and North Carolina, to meet together for Episcopal services with the intention of forming a permanent congregation. The Reverend Mr. J. F. Young, later Bishop of Florida, had already begun his work as an Episcopal Minister in the Bayou Lafourche area on July 18, 1842 with two communicants. Then Bishop Polk himself conducted the first Episcopal services in Napoleonville on Sunday, June 25, 1843 at the Assumption Court House. The steadily increasing group of communicants continued to meet intermittently in the Court House until 1853. During this period survivors were held for the Negroes on the plantations of the Parish.<br /><br />With a direct and continuing concern for the creation of an Episcopal parish in Assumption,<br />Bishop Polk presided at the organizational meeting of Christ Church, held ten years after its first<br />services. On January 10, 1853 a Constitution was adopted and the first vestry elected. Bishop Polk later spoke of the formal organization of the Parish <span style="font-style: italic;">"under circumstances of great encouragement. Preparations were made to build such a church as will be in some measure appropriate for one of the wealthiest communities in the State to present as an offering to God."</span>[2]<br /><br />Soon after the organizational meeting of Christ Church, Mr. Frank Wills, an Englishman then<br />residing in New York City, was engaged to draw plans for Christ Church.[3] He was the architect for the New York Ecclesiological Society which promoted the building of churches in the manner of the English parish church of medieval times. He is known to have designed one other church in Louisiana - Trinity Church in Natchitoches. A Mr. George Ament was engaged to build the church, and was later buried in the cemetery behind the church. Dr. Ebeneezer Eaton Kittredge, originally from New Hampshire, donated a corner of his Elm Hall Plantation for the church and cemetery. Col. (of the Assumption Militia) William Whitmell Pugh of Woodlawn Plantation donated the cypress and handmade bricks of which the church was built, as well as the labor. Evidently Bishop Polk was very pleased with the progress of this particular parish, for he wrote:<br /><span style="font-style: italic;"></span><br /><blockquote><span style="font-style: italic;">"Within little more than a year. . .and that year one of great depression from a widely spread</span><span style="font-style: italic;"> epidemic, the friends of the church in the Parish of Assumption have organized themselves</span><span style="font-style: italic;"> into a parish; and raised, exclusively among themselves, for the support of their minister and</span><span style="font-style: italic;"> the building of their church, above $9,500. That church is completed and it is the most</span><span style="font-style: italic;"> beautiful edifice of its kind I have ever seen in the Southern or Western country. Its style is</span><span style="font-style: italic;"> Gothic, and very pure for its period. And its entire arrangement, within and without,</span><span style="font-style: italic;"> exceedingly appropriate, beautiful, and in the best of taste."[4]</span></blockquote><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span>In addition to Dr. Kittredge and Col. Pugh, the first vestry consisted of George Washington<br />Jones, a prominent planter of Glenwood Plantation, who served as Junior Warden for many years;<br />Alexander Franklin Pugh, manager of the extensive Augustin-Bellevue-Whitmell plantation holdings in the northern part of Assumption Parish; Edward F. Pugh of Pothier Plantation, son of the Thomas and Eliza Foley Pugh of Madewood Plantation, R. Sparks, of the family of the outstanding State Senator Colonel W. H. Sparks, and William Reed Mills, the secretary, who was an attorney formerly from Vermont. Col. Pugh was elected Senior Warden and continued to serve in this capacity until a few years before his death in 1906, at the age of 95.<br /><br />The original subscription contained the names of twenty-one persons, some of whom were<br />not Episcopalians, but residents of the community - some even Roman Catholic - who wished to<br />participate in an undertaking which promised "so great a good" for the whole community. In this<br />predominantly French-speaking community of Napoleonville, little more than a village at the time, Christ Church served not only to provide a means of worship for those of the Protestant persuasion, but also served as a focal point and gathering place for the English-speaking people of the Parish, or "Americans", as they were called.<br /><br /><br />The formal organization of Christ Church, ten years in the making, came quickly to fruition in<br />the building of the church and the consecration of its sanctuary on May 10, 1854, presided over by Bishop Polk. After this auspicious beginning. Christ Church continued to serve its community<br />through the efforts of prominent leaders and lay people.<br /><br /><br />The Rev. Mr. J. F. Young resigned in 1855 and then several other rectors served for the few<br />years before the Civil War. In 1860 there were twenty white communicants and twenty Negro<br />communicants. When the Civil War came Bishop Polk left to become a Major-General in the<br />Confederate Army, during which service he lost his life.<br /><br /><br />During the War, Christ Church was used as a barracks for Federal troops from Ohio and<br />Indiana and then as a stable for their horses. The stained glass windows were used for<br />marksmanship practice and in the end, fire left the church a ruin.[5] Bishop Wilmer, visiting the church in 1867 and holding services in the Assumption Court House, described Christ Church as a "naked ruin" and said <span style="font-style: italic;">"...The inscriptions left upon the charred walls of this holy and beautiful house remain to attest the worth of popular education when not restrained by reverence for God and religion." Bishop Wilmer was encouraged upon this visit, however, "with the many proofs of their sound instruction in the faith, and their intense desire to welcome the advent of a minister of Christ, and the restoration of their church from its ruins."[6]<br /><br /></span>Although greatly impoverished by the Civil War, the congregation of Christ Church began<br />the work of restoration immediately, and soon made the building available for public worship. By 1869 they welcomed Bishop Wilmer within their own walls, and he declared that, "They were<br />persecuted, but not foresaken; cast down, but not destroyed."[7] Scarcely was the edifice made<br />habitable, however, than it was struck by lightening during a thunderstorm. Again it was abandoned. As early as 1870, under the leadership of the rector, the Rev. Mr. Charles A. Cameron, restoration of the church edifice was taken anew.<br /><br /><br />In 1886 Christ Church purchased a rectory for $1,500. Between the years of 1887 and 1906,<br />during the ministry of the Rev. Mr. Upton Bowden, another period of church renovation began, with the Edward Pugh Munson family playing a prominent role therein. Mr. Munson added a belfry to Christ Church in 1896. The magnificent stained glass window above the altar, said to be a Tiffany", was sent to New York City for restoration during this period. Again in 1909 this ill-fated window was sent to New York City for restoration after being shattered by another "act of nature."<br /><br /><br />An outstanding clergyman of the twentieth century was the Rev. Mr. Quincy Ewing, a<br />grandson of the Dr. Kittredge who gave the land for Christ Church. This brilliant, always<br />controversial man served as rector of Christ Church from 1906 until 1929, challenging the thought and mores of the comparatively conservative community by espousing such "liberal" views as women's suffrage and such "heretical" ideas on the equality of black people. During one particularly stern sermon on women's suffrage, one of his parishioners, U. S. Senator Walter Guion, a member of the vestry, walked out and withdrew from future membership in the church. [8]<br /><br /><br />The Rev. Mr. Ewing had earned the enmity of Mississippi s Negro-baiting Senator James K.<br />Vardaman by challenging the racial status quo in his preaching there. Being forced to leave, he<br />continued his iconoclastic battles in Alabama, denouncing the crime of lynching through the columns of The Outlook (October 1904). Far from changing his philosophical and theological views to accord more closely with those of the community, the Rev. Mr. Ewing continued to espouse his more radical views after coming to the Bayou. In 1909 he published in the Atlantic Monthly (March, 1909, Vol., CIII, p. 393) an article entitled "The Heart of the Race Problem," which was a model of Southern dissent from prevailing views on race. The Rev. Mr. Ewing's long tenure at Christ Church may have been due to the fact that he was among family on Bayou Lafourche. The influence, nevertheless, of such a man preaching such provocative ideas of social justice so foreign to those of his day, could not help but be felt in the small community of Napoleonville.<br /><br /><br />From its early days with Bishop Polk up until the present time, Christ Episcopal Church has<br />continued to influence the lives of both Episcopalians and others in the Bayou Lafourche community in and around Napoleonville. A number of church leaders through the years have been buried in Christ Church Cemetery, a constant reminder of those who contributed so much through the years to establish Christ Church and then to keep it an active force.<br /><br /><br />Footnotes<br />1 Hodding Carter and Betty W. Carter, So Great A Good: A History of the Episcopal Church<br />in Louisiana and of Christ Church Cathedral 1805-1955, (Sewanee: 1955), p. 58.<br />2 Herman C. Duncan, The Diocese of Louisiana - Some of Its History 1838-1888, (New<br />Orleans: A. W. Hyatt, 1888), p. 178.<br />3 Phoebe Stanton, The Gothic Revival and American Church Architecture, (Johns Hopkins,<br />1968), pp. 293-296.<br />4 Carter, p. 67.<br />5 Ibid, p. 144; Duncan, p. 179.<br />6 Ibid.<br />7 Duncan, p. 179.<br />8 C. W. Wynes, "The Reverend Quincy Ewing: Southern Radical Heretic in the Cajun<br />Country," Louisiana History, VII (Summer, 1966), pp. 2202-2228.<br /><br /><br />MAJOR BIBLIOGRAPHICAL REFERENCES<br /><br />Carter, Hodding, and Betty W. Carter. So Great A Good. Sewanee, Tenn.: University Press, 1955.<br />Duncan, H. C. The Diocese of Louisiana-Some of Its History 1838-1888. New Orleans: A. W. Hyatt,<br />1888.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 100%;"><br />http://www.crt.state.la.us All info Louisiana National Register of Historic Places<br /></span>Louisiana Genealogy Blogshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07232128496424412370noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-827449905980894126.post-79870631946533031642009-03-29T12:18:00.000-07:002009-03-29T12:55:49.660-07:00Landry Tomb Ascension Parish<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.crt.state.la.us/hp/nhl/parish03/03009101.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 507px; height: 649px;" src="http://www.crt.state.la.us/hp/nhl/parish03/03009101.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.crt.state.la.us/hp/nhl/parish03/03009001.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 242px; height: 304px;" src="http://www.crt.state.la.us/hp/nhl/parish03/03009001.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />The Landry Tomb according to the Historic Places Database, was placed on the Historic Register on 8/11/1982. It is located in Ascension Parish, Louisiana in Donaldsonville, Louisiana. It is also called the Ascension Catholic Church Cemetery, which is located near the corner of St. Vincent and Claiborne Streets. :<br /><br />The Landry Tomb (1845), an extremely monumental above ground multiple burial vault, is located in a small town cemetery. Since it was built and filled, it has undergone no changes aside from the gradual growth of vines. Hence there is absolutely no integrity problem.<br /><br />The tomb is a two stage monument constructed of ashlar granite. Set on a heavy base, the lower stage contains the square tomb space, which has 2 severely cut Doric pilasters on each face and a massive diagonally set pier on each corner. Each pier is surmounted by an urn. The second stage is a granite cube with a 4 pilaster temple front on each face. The walls spread markedly towards the base, which indicates a desire to combine Egyptian characteristics with this essentially neo-classical monument.<br /><br />The tomb is entered on the north side by means of a bronze door and a granite stoop.<br />Specific dates 1845 - Builder/Architect attributed to James Dakin, Architect<br /><br />The Landry Tomb is significant on the state level in the area of architecture as one of the most outstanding extant examples of antebellum Louisiana funerary architecture. Louisiana is known for its large elaborately designed tombs, but virtually all of the more impressive ones date from the late nineteenth or early twentieth centuries. Prior to the Civil War the finest Classical Revival tombs tended to be sarcophagi (sometimes double sarcophagi) with a pediment at each end and a set of corner pilasters. The Landry Tomb is far more pretentious than this. Its two stage design with four massive corner piers, urns, and a pavilion top which presents a full pedimented portico on each side represents a much bolder and more ambitious approach to funerary architecture than was common at the time.<br /><br />The Landry Tomb was built in 1845 and is attributed to James Dakin by his biographer,<br />Arthur Scully, Jr. Scully's conclusion that the tomb was "in all likelihood" designed by Dakin is based upon the architectural evidence and a drawing in Dakin's collection of a building which strongly resembles the tomb.<br /><br />There are 24 vaults in the Landry Tomb. One of the individuals buried there is the one to whom it is dedicated, Joseph Landry, who died in 1814 and was moved into the present tomb in 1845.<br /><br /><br />Major Bibliographical References<br />Scully, Arthur, Jr. James Dakin, Architect. LSU Press, 1973.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />Ascension Parish was formed in 1807. You can view a map of all of the parishes in Louisiana <a href="http://www.usgwarchives.org/la/laparmap.html">here</a>. <a href="http://files.usgwarchives.org/la/ascension/history/donaldso.txt">Donaldsonville</a> is also known as "the second Acadian coast." You can visit the <a href="http://main.ascension.lib.la.us/index.php?page=online-exhibits">Ascension Parish library</a> online and learn more.<br /><br />Ascension Heritage Association (ASHA)<br />P.O. Box 404<br />Donaldsonville, LA 70346<br />Contact: Barbara Ourso Board Member (225)473-7371 (225)746-9627 :<br />Contact: Pam Gregoire President (225)473-8285<br />Cultural organization involved with efforts to retain the historic homes, businesses, and churches<br />of Donaldsonville, along with beautification projects. Eligibility: none Dues: $10 per year.<br />Meet: 2nd Wednesday of each month at noon.<br /><br />East Ascension Genealogical and Historical Society<br />P.O. Box 1006<br />Gonzales, LA 70707-1006<br />Contact: David Powers (225)644-1869 dpowers@eatel.net<br />Genealogical research. EAGHS Library location: 13324 Etienne Road Gonzales, LA<br />70737. Library hours: Tuesdays - 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. Workshops: Tuesdays at 6:00<br />p.m. EAGHS Library<br /><br />Los Isleños de Galvez Heritage &amp; Cultural Society<br />7437 Meadowbrook Avenue<br />Baton Rouge, LA 70810-2014<br />Contact: Dennis Delaney (601)798-8384<br />Contact: Deanna Carbo (225)769-9456 tippilou2@aol.com<br />Descendants of the Canary Islands; promotes history, culture, and genealogy of the people of the<br />area and across the world. Educational focus.<br /><br />New River Rangers U.D.C., Chapter 2514<br />38356 Hwy. 74<br />Gonzales, LA 70737<br />Contact: Ruth Hanson, President (225)673-8434<br />War veterans, history, education, genealogy and field trips.<br /><br />River Road African American Museum &amp; Gallery<br />P.O. Box 266<br />Donaldsonville, LA 70346<br />www.africanamericanmuseum.org<br />aamuseum@bellsouth.net<br />Contact: Kathe Hambrick Museum Director (225)474-5553 aamuseum@bellsouth.net<br />Physical Address: 406 Charles, Donaldsonville, LA 70346<br />Museum dedicated to the preservation, interpretation, and collection of African and African American art and artifacts as it relates to the River Parish communities. Offer storytelling, research, artist workshops and performances, and historical exhibits. Tours available. $4.00 admission. Hours: Wednesday - Saturday 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.;<br />Sunday 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><br /></span>Louisiana Genealogy Blogshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07232128496424412370noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-827449905980894126.post-63168236578126812982009-03-06T10:18:00.000-08:002009-03-06T10:37:46.322-08:00Events and NewsEvents<br /><br />Magnolia Memories VI will be held March 6th, 7th and 8th in the historic Magnolia Cemetery in Baton Rouge and the Governors Mansion. <a href="http://louisianacemeteries.blogspot.com">Read more</a><a href="http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1569551683"><br /><br />Save Our Cemeteries </a><br />SKELETONS IN OUR CLOSET: 1850’s New Orleans Personalities<br /><br />A look at the lives and final resting places of the developers, architects, builders, politicians, plantation owners and other assorted characters from 1850’s New Orleans.<br />A lecture by Pat Dupuy, Tour Guide Extraordinaire<br /><br />Saturday, March 7, 2009 6 1:00 pm<br />Louisiana State Museum Arsenal<br />600 St. Peter Street<br />New Orleans, LA 70116<br /><br />Free for SOC members, $5 for non-members<br /><br />Sunday, March 29, 2009<br />11 am - 3 pm<br /><br />Destrehan Plantation<br />13034 River Road<br />Destrehan, LA<br /><br />A day of fun featuring a gourmet brunch, cocktails, live entertainment, an egg hunt, an arts and crafts tent, face painting, egg races, a raffle, and games with the Easter Bunny!<br /><br />Advance tickets: $15 for kids under 12, $20 for SOC members, $25 non-members<br /><br />For more information or to purchase tickets, call (504) 525-3377 or go to:<br /><a href="http://www.saveourcemeteries.org/calendar/index.htm" onmousedown="'return" target="_blank" rel="nofollow"><span>http://www.saveourcemeteri</span><wbr><span class="word_break"></span>es.org/calendar/index.htm</a><br /><br />News<br /><br /><a href="http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/LA-CEMETERY-PRESERVATION/2009-03/1236274247">A recent article</a> concerning a cemetery clean up in the city owned potters field, Holt cemetery in Mid City, was published this week. Holt cemetery <a href="http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/la-cemetery-preservation/2008-07/1214933379">has been reported</a> as neglected to Saving Graves in 2001 and was the subject of a previous clean up project in 2008. Oddly enough the funeral service and mortuary science program of Delgado Community College abuts the overgrown cemetery. <span style="font-style: italic;">"It's our calling in life not to just take care of the dead when they die but to give them perpetual care," said Bobbiann Lewis, an instructor in Delgado's program, whose students have been required to do cemetery upkeep since <span style="font-weight: bold;">late last year.</span></span><br /><br />In <a href="http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/LA-CEMETERY-PRESERVATION/2009-03/1236361047">Shreveport, Louisiana</a> the Interstate 49 planning between I 49 and I 220 could affect local cemeteries. Baton Rouge-based Providence Engineering will partner with Franklin Industries and conduct an 18th month long study. "The most important thing we need to get is citizen input," said Perry Franklin, head of Franklin Industries. No contact information concerning Franklin Industries or Providence Engineering was available in this article.Louisiana Genealogy Blogshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07232128496424412370noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-827449905980894126.post-7948259935308493142009-02-05T11:00:00.000-08:002009-02-05T11:22:07.303-08:00Kenner and Kugler Cemeteries<a href="http://louisianacemeteries.blogspot.com/">Louisiana Cemetery Preservation </a><br />Click the link above to read about Kenner and Kugler Cemeteries from the Louisiana National Register. There is also a news link (posted full article) from March 2008 by Shonna Riggs.<br /><br />The register lists this cemetery as being in St. Charles Parish, Louisiana near Norco. USGS does not list this cemetery or I have overlooked it in their massive database. USGS does list Norco and Goodhope or Good Hope as a name variant. This may or may not pertain to the history of these cemeteries.<br /><br />A few quotes from the news article:<br /><br /><blockquote>"We are in the process of updating a master plan and working with the descendants of these families," he said. "We're considering putting in a memorial to develop more of the cultural aspect to let people know just what took place in this part of the river."<br />- Chris Brantley, biologist and spillway operations manager. <br /><br />"Brantley says the tombstones and caskets are under several feet of sediment."<br /><br />"There are markers there letting people know there's a cemetery in the spillway," he said "We keep both sites maintained."</blockquote><br /><br /><br />I believe that comments have closed concerning the master plan on January 30, 2009. The <a href="http://natchitochespreservation.ning.com">Natchitoches Preservation Ning</a> posted a link to the PDF file.Louisiana Genealogy Blogshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07232128496424412370noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-827449905980894126.post-63300927537726111822009-01-24T08:22:00.000-08:002009-01-24T09:20:34.405-08:00Sweet Olive CemeterySweet Olive Cemetery is an African American historical cemetery in Baton Rouge that has struggled for years with its conditions and has a hidden history.<br /><br />There are recent photographs of Sweet Olive Cemetery in Baton Rouge that can be seen on Facebook from John Gallent. The link to the photo album is below. This 2006 photograph <a href="http://honors.lsu.edu/newsletter/images/w06sweetolive3.jpg">(link)</a> is of volunteers from the LSU Honors College Freshman initiating one of two volunteer clean-ups at Sweet Olive Cemetery. You can read about the 2006 clean up effort <a href="http://www.honors.lsu.edu/Newsletter/Newsletter06Winter.html#three">here</a>. I've tried several times to contact the LSU Honors College for more information concerning this cemetery, but have had no luck.<br /><br />John Gallent's photos on Facebook<br /><br /><a href="http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/album.php?page=2&amp;aid=2445573&amp;id=23418888">http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/album.php?page=2&amp;aid=2445573&amp;id=23418888</a><br /><br />Evidently, <a href="http://www.2theadvocate.com/news/30451154.html">The Advocate</a>, posted a video about this cemetery back in October 2008 as having been damaged from hurricane Gustav. Another blogger, historicalbatonrouge.blogspot.com, had posted that in April 2007 a truck smashed through the fence at this same cemetery and damaged tombs. The Mid-City Redevelopment Alliance, Inc. has listed Sweet Olive Cemetery as a historical cemetery that the city supports as a landmark. This is what they have to say about Sweet Olive from their website:<br /><br /><em>Sweet Olive Cemetery, located in the heart of Mid City, is the oldest African-American cemetery in Baton Rouge. The Community Development office supports the revitalization of this important cultural landmark by organizing volunteer clean-ups and assisting in the grant-writing process. The goal of this project is to enhance the appearance, safety and overall atmosphere of the cemetery, creating a safer, more attractive environment for residents, visitors and tourists.</em><br /><br /><a href="http://brgov.com/Dept/OCD/midcity.htm"></a>A "representative" of Sweet Olive Cemetery has been enlisted in a study according to Louisiana Legislative document HLS183. The proposed study of historical cemeteries will end in April 2009.<br /><br />You may read more about this cemetery from the <a href="http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/LA-CEMETERY-PRESERVATION/2009-01/1232506716">Louisiana Cemetery Preservation mailing list.</a> Some have said that this cemetery dates to 1850. According to several old newspaper articles, a transcript of this cemetery existed at one time.Louisiana Genealogy Blogshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07232128496424412370noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-827449905980894126.post-60718051469546724462008-12-09T10:35:00.000-08:002008-12-09T10:37:58.864-08:00Twin Cities Memorial Gardens<strong>Ink dry on purchase of troubled cemetery</strong><br />from URL: <a href="http://www.thenewsstar.com/article/20081209/NEWS01/81209030">http://www.thenewsstar.com/article/20081209/NEWS01/81209030</a><br /><br />Staff report<br /><br /><blockquote>The purchase of Twin Cities Memorial Gardens in West Monroe has been<br />completed, and in the near future its name will be changed to Kilpatrick's<br />Serenity Gardens.<br /><br />Laura Kilpatrick Marchelos, Kilpatrick Funeral Homes president, said<br />Monday the company has already met with architects and contractors to give "this<br />half-century old property a new and exciting face-lift which we will be<br />unveiling over the next 60 to 90 days."<br /><br />The cemetery was placed in receivership by the state earlier this year<br />because of poor management by former owner Dannie Jackson. Mulhearn Funeral<br />Homes had been running the facility since the state's takeover. Mulhearn has its<br />own cemetery, Mulhearn Memorial Park Cemetery, east of Monroe.<br /><br />The state Attorney General's Office, which represents the Louisiana<br />Cemetery Board, placed Twin Cities into receivership in January while<br />investigating complaints over the past several years about poor management and<br />perpetual care and merchandise trusts not being properly funded.<br /><br />Following a state investigation, Jackson was indicted on 16 counts of<br />improper contract for taking money for headstones that he never installed. In<br />February, he pleaded no contest to one count of improper contract for failing to<br />put the money in a trust account as required by law.<br /><br />Jackson has agreed to ensure that all trust funds be fully funded and<br />to provide a reserve account so Kilpatrick Funeral Homes can fund contracts of<br />families that have not been fulfilled.<br /><br />Kilpatrick Funeral Homes operates businesses in Monroe, West Monroe,<br />Ruston and Farmerville.<br />"This has been a dream of ours to add a cemetery to<br />our existing business and to be able to do it where it will benefit the<br />community of West Monroe and Ouachita Parish. It is a perfect fit," Kilpatrick<br />said.<br /><br />Following a state attorney general investigation and an audit by Lucy<br />McCann of the Louisiana Cemetery Board and the Kilpatrick staff, Kilpatrick<br />Funeral Homes founder Tex Kilpatrick said "that everything is in order at this<br />time."<br /><br />He said those with questions should contact Kilpatrick's at 323-9614.<br />He said all records should be ready for review "within the next few<br />weeks."<br /><br />Marchelos said people driving by the cemetery will begin to notice<br />immediate enhancements such as a general cleanup, a new permanent office, new<br />signage, updated fencing, lighting and road improvements. "Further improvements<br />will become evident as we get closer to spring of 2009," she said.<br /></blockquote>Louisiana Genealogy Blogshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07232128496424412370noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-827449905980894126.post-62648191558661322482008-12-04T14:02:00.000-08:002008-12-04T14:05:33.642-08:00Rural cemetery in West Baton Rouge Parish on River Road<h2 class="date-header"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><br /></span></h2> <a name="1367483835443030726"></a><a href="http://louisianacemeteries.blogspot.com/2008/11/west-baton-rouge-parish-cemetery-on.html"></a><h3 class="post-title entry-title"> </h3> November 25th and 26th Paul Gates of WAFB wrote a story about a small rural cemetery in West Baton Rouge Parish that likely suffered damage from Hurricane Gustav. It was found by a couple traveling in the area who emailed Mr. Gates about the damaged cemetery near Beuche, Louisiana on River Road. The Assistant Attorney General, Ryan Seideman, the Louisiana Cemetery Board, and both the West Baton Rouge cornoners office and Parish President were on hand to see that the cemetery was cleaned up. You can read more about both articles from Paul Gates here: <a href="http://www.wafb.com/Global/story.asp?s=9414449"><em>Family shocked by cemetery destruction</em></a> and <a href="http://www.wafb.com/Global/story.asp?S=9420845&amp;nav=menu57_2"><em>Repair process begins at cemetery with damaged caskets and vaults.</em></a> It is believed that the destruction found was likely caused by Hurricane Gustav and the owner may be able to get assistance from FEMA. They are still looking for the owner of this cemetery on River Road.<br /><br /><br />There are very few named cemeteries in West Baton Rouge Parish and even fewer with transcripts available on-line. In fact, <a href="http://www.la-cemeteries.com/">Martin Gautier's Louisiana </a>Cemeteries lists several "unknown" cemeteries that have no transcripts, photographs or recognition by USGS. I noted 10 unknown cemeteries at his site where has has listed the GPS of the cemetery. USGS lists cemeteries differently from church cemeteries. Only 10 cemeteries are noted by USGS. USGS lists several churches that may be associated with older cemeteries. <a href="http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=csr&amp;CScnty=1169&amp;CSsr=1&amp;">Find A Grave notes 39 cemeteries </a>totally in West Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana where a few more are associated with churches.Louisiana Genealogy Blogshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07232128496424412370noreply@blogger.com